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When does a duly adopted motion go into effect?


Guest Michael Ballou

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Guest Michael Ballou

When does a duly adopted main motion go into effect?

 

Does it (a) go into effect as soon as the motion is adopted, or does it (B) go into effect after the minutes of the meeting at which the motion was adopted are formally approved by the body at the subsequent meeting?

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When does a duly adopted main motion go into effect?

 

Does it (a) go into effect as soon as the motion is adopted, or does it ( B) go into effect after the minutes of the meeting at which the motion was adopted are formally approved by the body at the subsequent meeting?

 

As soon as the motion is adopted, unless the motion states otherwise.

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Guest Michael Ballou

Thanks for the quick replies Josh and Margaret!

 

This was my understanding of RONR as well. The idea that since the minutes are the official record of the body (true statement), motions are not in force until the minutes have been approved has been promulgated within the body I am a part of.

 

Since I have been unable to find any passage in RONR that directly refutes this incorrect understanding, I wanted to see what this community had to say about it.

 

Any suggested references in RONR to help make this point to the body?

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Thanks for the quick replies Josh and Margaret!

 

This was my understanding of RONR as well. The idea that since the minutes are the official record of the body (true statement), motions are not in force until the minutes have been approved has been promulgated within the body I am a part of.

 

Since I have been unable to find any passage in RONR that directly refutes this incorrect understanding, I wanted to see what this community had to say about it.

 

Any suggested references in RONR to help make this point to the body?

 

Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck finding an explicit general statement on this principle. The best I can find is RONR, 11th ed., pg. 597, where the text notes that amendments to the bylaws take effect immediately upon adoption.

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As one more instance of suppport for the "it takes effect immediately" argument, p. 48 ll. 25-26 includes part of the Chair's announcement of the vote result, this being the "or ordering its execution, if needed or appropriate" part, and p. 121 ll. 1-5 shows the Chair instructing the treasurer to write a check and the secretary to mail it.  Nowhere is it mentioned in this example here that these actions will only take place when the minutes of the active meeting are finally approved at some later date.

 

I would also suggest to Guest_Michael_Ballou (are you still there GMB?) that he ask the promulgaters in his organization to provide proof of their position that the subsequent approval of the minutes is what sets the effect of the motion in motion. 

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David, I'm still here, now as a registered member.

 

Thanks for the suggested references, those seem pretty on point.

 

In this case, the promulgator of the idea is a very senior and very well respected (justly deserved) gentleman who had served as parliamentarian for years. Due to his seniority and respect, what he says tends to go. Fortunately, he is extremely fair and also right 99.9% of the time. I will share with him what I have learned from these posts and see if he might change his stance.

 

However, like the post from sMargaret suggests, ultimately the position taken, right or wrong, comes down to the will of the majority of the body.

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I will share with him what I have learned from these posts and see if he might change his stance.

You might try suggesting a scenario in which timely action is required and a motion is adopted. Does he think that action must wait a month (or longer?) until the minutes of that meeting are approved? What about an organization that only meets annually and (contrary to RONR's advice) waits a full year before approving the minutes of the previous year's meeting? Sometimes reductio ad absurdum arguments can be persuasive.

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While I can't cite anything in RONR (it might be there), for anything adopted by an organization of such a critical nature, I would suggest a signed and dated "Board/organization resolution" done at the meeting when such a resolution is adopted." Then, there is no question. These are the kinds of documents done when, for example, a bank needs such a document to open an account or make changes to an account. It would be absurd, for example, to have to wait a period of time until the next meeting, when minutes are "approved" to take some vital action, such as opening or changing a bank account, entering into a contract, and so on.

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